Kestrel

Hi all;

I just bought my first bike last fall - a 2009 Suzuki C50SE. I love the bike, but I'm still having problems figuring out what gear I should be in and at what speed. The manual suggests:

1st - 2nd @ 20 kph (12 mph),
2nd - 3rd @ 30 kph (19 mph),
3rd - 4th @ 40 kph (25 mph), and
4th - 5th @ 50 kph (31 mph).

I've tried this, and the motor seems to labour because I'm in too high a gear at too low a speed. But the bike is happy cruising around the town in 3rd when the manual says I should be in 5th.

I don't want to overwork the motor for being in too low a gear at too high a speed, but without a tach I can't tell what the engine is doing.

Any suggestions or opinions would be welcome.

Thanks.

Mike

OzriderC50T

Change the KPH numbers to MPH and that would be a more realistic view.

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2011 C50T

http://ozboulevards.com/

D-Mac

I agree. That's about where I was before I got a modified drive.

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2013 C90T B.O.S.S.
2008 M50 2011-2013

Max55

When you hear the gear wind out and it doesn't feel like it will go any faster in that gear it's time to shift. You'll get use to hearing it and feeling it.

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smac2

I tend to agree about winding it out. It is not a sport bike but I tend to shift in the higher rpm range. Ride it like you own it. And like you mentioned I find myself in third in town majority of the time. You will really begin to hear the bike once you forget concerns on reving it too high, which you can not with the rev limiter anyways.

Just side note I do not really notice a real difference in mileage letting the bike wind up a bit.

OzriderC50T

Don't be scared to rev it out a bit, but you won't have a licence long if you do that around town.

General traffic (60-75kph) I'd cruising in 4-5th, over 80kph I'd be in 5th.

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Cheers, Ozrider



2011 C50T

http://ozboulevards.com/

gkeefer

Like nfallon55 said just ride it and youll get used to it.

crawdad

Just out of curiosity, at what rpm is the rev limiter set at

gossman

Keep it revved high enough to allow a burst of power in a bad situation if you are in town.

Hi-Vis

Because of the way suzuki tunes this bike it has great low end torque. Lugging any engine will beat the rod and main bearings out of it. More rpms means more oil pressure and more oil pressure means that metal parts will remain suspended in oil.

Something I realized recently. I started wearing ear plugs again. With the wind noise kept to a low level I can hear/feel the engine working. When the engine first begins to lug I feel it where without earplugs I could not.

I've worn ear plugs in the past and could not detect what I just described. Could it be I'm now @ 10,700 miles (broke in) or the fact that my tires are nearly worn out?

Try the ear plug trick around town and go easy on the throttle at first.

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2006 Honda Big-Ruckus 250 scooter. ~Rare~

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